Radha, Finally!

We are now at the climax - I believe, a triumphant one - of the story narrated in this old post.

So, let me thank artist N K Vinod for his patience and persistence and declare with joy and relief: RADHE, RADHE!!

“Muhuravalokita mandana lila
Madhuripurahamiti bhavanasila”
- ("Staring at her ornament’s natural grace, she fancies: “I am Krishna, Madhu’s foe”)

"Having adorned herself with all the ornaments Krishna is known to favour – a crown embellished with peacock feathers, a garland of forest blossoms, earrings shaped like ‘Makaras’, the ‘gopi’ vermillion mark on the forehead - and poised to play the flute as her beloved does so enchantingly, Radha confidently admires in a mirror how thorough a job she has done, of not merely mimicking or impersonating Krishna but actually becoming Krishna.

....Despite its joyous and unfettered celebration of physical beauty and carnal love, Gitagovinda's real aim is to convey the supreme realization of a Truth far beyond the material – that Radha and Krishna are but one transcendental being. Indeed, our visualization focusses on Radha’s deep yearning to be one with her cosmic Beloved and we have chosen to work out a visual representation of a remarkable couplet from that foundational text – a theme without real precedent in any school of painting ..."

Seventeen - II

As the second half of the 'birthday package', let me record some recent impressions from our other epic - the Ramayana.

1. In most versions of Ramayana, Shatrughna is a mere shadow to Bharata. Only towards the end of the 'Uttarakandam' does Rama ask him to lead - almost as a consolation prize - a campaign against the asura Lavana. And in some versions of the epic he fights Rama's sons in a futile bid to free a sacrificial horse. But neither of these is a situation where Shatrughna makes a signature contribution to the dramatic flux of the story.

Now, let me quote a bit from Philip Lutgendorf's translation of Tulsidas's version. Bharata and Shatrughna have just returned to Ayodhya and learned of the horrible things Kaikeyi had done at Manthara's instigation:

When Shatrughna learned of (Kaikeyi's ) treachery,
his body burned with uncontrollable anger.
Just then, the hunchback (Manthara) came there,
all done up in rich clothes and jewels.

Seeing her, Laxmana's brother was enraged,
like a blazing fire into which ghee is poured,
With a leap, he kicked her on her hump
and she fell flat on her face, shrieking.
The hump was smashed, her skull fractured,
teeth broken and blood poured from her mouth.
She wailed "Oh God, What harm did I do,
for my good deeds to bring me such bad fruit?"
Hearing this and knowing her to be utterly corrupt,
the slayer of foes began draggindg her by her braid.
But Bharata, abode of mercy, made him release her,
and the two brothers went to ....
Note: Shatrughna's 'leaping kick' can be taken as evidence for the high development of martial arts in the India of Treta Yuga; Bodhidharma teaching our combat techniques to the Chinese was millennia into the future!
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2. After nearly a decade, I revisited the Koothattukulam Mahadeva temple.

"Above the main 'balikkallu'( a sort of sacrificial altar at the entrance to the interior) is a square wooden canopy of side about 15 foot. Its central part is divided into 9 equal square panels but if these panels ever held something (I am told they might have had carvings of the Navagrahas) they are gone..."

Note: The missing panels must have held not the nine planets but the 8 dikpalas and Brahma at the center.

"Around this central portion is a border about 10 inches wide and here, in a running frieze are carved episodes from the Ramayana ..."

A group portrait of Dasharatha with his sons and queens:

"In Kerala, there is a pretty widespread tradition of representing Rama's 'nativity' in graphic detail. To my knowledge, among the many possible divine births, only those of Rama and his brothers get this treatment. The most (in)famous among several such cringe-worthy labor scenes are among the Mattancheri Palace murals ... The Koothattukulam friezes are more demure with the newborns shown safe in the hands of ladies attending on their mothers...."

I realize I hadn't been very accurate. Only Rama's birth is relatively 'demure'. Here it is. The others, let me leave to your visits to the place. I recall seeing somewhere that at least some sources say that among the 4 brothers, Laxmana is senior to Bharata; and if you go by these carvings, that is indeed the case, albeit marginally. I won't elaborate further!

Rama kills Tataka:

Although there was talk of renovation, all that has happened over the years at this temple is some minor construction in a corner of the compound; the temple looks as much on the brink of collapse as ever. I wish someone properly documents the few surviving pieces of art before the inevitable.
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And last but not the least, let me mention an absolute Greek tragdey of a Marathi film - 'Jait re Jait' by Jabbar Patel and featuring Smita Patil and Mohan Agashe. Over the last week, I saw it thrice, parts threof more often..

The Lingoba rock is what Maslow's Pyramid of Needs really ought to look like - gentle at low elevations and steep, indeed, vicious towards the pinnacle. Nagya is an Everyman who, inspired by a doting Father, pursues Self-actualization and Transcendence at the expense of Belonging, Love and Esteem - his story, a parable on the sad folly of neglecting Deficiency needs to satisfy Growth needs.

Seventeen - I

This blog is 17 (yes, SEVENTEEN!) today.

To mark the occasion, let me record some details from the Mahabharata (yes, the very epic that made me a Reader and that I keep returning to as a Writer) that I barely noticed till the other day. I depend on Marar's 'Bharataparyatanam' and Wikipedia.
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1. When the Pandavas were in their 'forest exile', Duryodhana planned a grand holiday - he and his minions would go and camp out in the very forest where their cousins dwelt and hunt and sport and make merry on a grand scale. The idea was to flaunt his prosperity and power to the Pandavas and to remind them of their misery and penury.

The plan misfired badly - Duryodhana and co took out a grand procession but were intercepted, outfought and taken captive by a band of Gandharvas; and to add insult to injury, they were released only on the intercession of the very Pandavas he had set out to humiliate. On return to his capital, a depressed Duryodhana thought of even ritual suicide. Karna tried to console him thus: "Look, you don't need to feel bad about receiving that favor from your enemies. At present, the Pandavas are technically, your subjects, your servants. And it is but the duty of a servant to come to his master's aid. The Pandavas only did a job they were supposed to do and that is that!"

And then Shakuni spoke: "I agree with Karna. And let me add, it would be disgraceful on your part to be unhappy that the Pandavas aided you - indeed you should feel happy and grateful to them. And I would suggest, in the true spirit of brotherhood, that you receive them back and give them their rightful share of the kingdom and live in harmony. That would bring you true peace and contentment!"

Personally, what Karna said was pretty predictable - his animosity towards the Pandavas and especially his ego issues with Arjuna went back a long way. But Shakuni, of all people, with a peace pipe - was that was one hell of a surprise!
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2. Dronacharya taught the deadly astra 'Brahmashira' to his favorite disciple Arjuna and then, to his own son Ashwattthama - the latter, with some serious misgivings because of Ashwatthama's tendency to use his skills in anger and driven by narrow personal animosities. Ashwatthama too knew Drona's thoughts. He went to Dwaraka and stayed for a while as Krishna's honored guest. Then one day, he approached Krishna and quietly said: "Let's have a deal. My father has taught me the Brahmashira. I could pass on the secrets to you, if in return, you would give me Chakra, your discus!"

Krishna said with a smile. "I have no use for astras; you keep yours. However, you can inspect my personal aresenal and take whatever you wish - my discus, mace, bow, whatever!"

Ashwatthama's eyes glittered. "The discus of course!"

And he reached for it with his left hand. Finding it heavier than he thought, he applied both hands, then all his might - and to his shock, the discus didn't even budge! Ashwatthama gave up in utter vexation.

Krishna smiled: "Know what, my closest friend Arjuna, mighty Balarama, my own son Pradyumna, every inch, my equal - none of them ever sought what you asked for... May I know what the hell you wanted to do with my discus?"

And Ashwatthama said: "I seek invincibility. And I wanted to use the discus in battle against you ! Both goals seem elusive now. So, let me take leave of you. Please wish me well!"
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3. King Janamejaya conducts the Snake Sacrifice to destroy Takshaka, the serpent who had killed his father Parikshit. The sacrifice gets aborted midway thru by a rather spoil-sport intervention from Astika, a sage of Brahmin-serpent ancestry. Takshaka is saved but not before thousands upon thousands of other serpents, who had nothing whatsoever to do with Parikshit are burnt alive in the sacrificial fire. However, as the epic informs us, the charred snakes were only getting their 'just desserts' - they had refused to help their mother Kadru cheat and win a petty bet with her sister Vinata and Kadru had cursed them with death by fire!

Takshaka had no choice but to bite Parikshit because a curse (of a certain hotheaded juvenile monk by name Shringi) on the latter enjoined the former to do just that. Of course, as with most curses, this too had been a very harsh one - and irrevocable to boot! But Takshaka had motives beyond merely carrying out his 'assignment': indeed, on his way to kill Parikshit, Takshaka meets up with a Brahmin who knew the Garuda Mantra, a powerful spell which could bring a snakebite victim back to life and who was on his way to revive Parikshit in case Takshaka struck him - and the serpent persuades the Brahmin to stay away by giving him 'gifts' of value demonstrably far in excess of anything he would have received for saving the king. As Takshaka himself states, "I want men to be mortally afraid of my powers. If Parikshit is saved, men won't fear me enough!"

So, just as with most chains of events in this epic, the fire sacrifice ends without real closure - Takshaka, a real villain of the piece, goes scot-free. As for Shringi, there is no indication that he ever had to answer for his act!
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And as the Bhagavata, a sort of sequel-prequel to the Mahabharata adds, the hapless Parikshit spent his last week in a heavily guarded hideout in the company of sages and listening to stories of the divine exploits of Krishna and Vishnu - of course, to no real avail!